Description: There have been times when Lucas and Gina have both experienced joy in their lives.
AN: I made up Gina having a younger brother so I hope no one minds. For all we know, she could have siblings so anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Gina
One of the very first times Gina experienced joy was when her little brother, Joseph was born. She had been five and doted on him from the minute of his birth. At times, she had been disappointed that he hadn't been a girl, like she'd hoped. On the other hand, she was proud to be a big sister and told everyone she met how happy she was to have a little brother. She was fiercely protective of him and treasured every day they spent together.
Another time joy entered her life was when she first met Jessica. She had immediately known that they were going to be really good time, their friendship grew stronger. They both liked the same things: shopping and talking endlessly on the phone. One time they had talked on the phone for four hours straight, about nothing in particular. Having Jessica for a friend meant that there was never a lonely moment in Gina's life.
She also experienced joy when she finally admitted her feelings for Lucas at the school dance and he told her that he felt the same way about her. She had spent months being infatuated with him and, after hearing him admit that he loved her, had burst into tears of happiness and joy as a result.
Her wedding day was one of the most joyful times of her life. Surrounded by all her friends and family, the whole day was focused on her and the man she loved with all her heart. When they exchanged their vows, she couldn't keep the smile off her face as she was filled with joy at knowing that she would soon be married to Lucas.
The birth of her daughter had also been a joyful time. Seeing Louise's perfect newborn features, the green eyes that were identical to her father's, her soft curly black hair filled Gina with a pride she couldn't quite describe. She and Lucas had something, or rather, someone to call their own, someone they could teach and be responsible for. That gave her a joy too powerful for words.
Lucas
The first time Lucas experienced joy was when he befriended Nick, Toby and Jessica. It had started when Toby had decided to end the school day by pulling a prank on one of his fellow unsuspecting students. The poor unsuspecting student just happened to be Lucas. The next day, Toby came up to him at recess and apologized, looking so humble that Lucas couldn't stop himself from grinning. In that moment, they knew that the prank had been put behind them. As they met up with Toby's younger brother Nick and their friend Jessica, Lucas knew that they were destined to be great friends, even if, at times, they had the odd clash due to their varying personalities. He was simply happy to call them his friends.
Another event that brought joy to his life was discovering that he was a Lord of Nature, more specifically the Lord of the Forest. He was even happier when he learnt that his friends were the other Lords of Nature. For the first time, Lucas felt like he would have the power to make a difference, to show that nature needs protecting. Though he was aware that his friends would never truly understand his love for all living things, he was pleased that he possessed the power to protect them.
He also felt joyful when Gina finally admitted how she felt about him. He had spent months being the object of her infatuation and, being absolutely clueless about girls, had had absolutely no idea that she liked him until she told him at the school dance. He had started to like her as more than a friend a couple of weeks prior. He was absolutely overjoyed, therefore, when he knew they both felt the same way.
At his wedding, when he saw Gina walking up the aisle looking impossibly beautiful, he almost stopped breathing at the sight of her and couldn't keep the smile of joy off his face. When he said his vows, he spoke them directly from his heart and gazed into her eyes, completely focused on her and nothing else.
When Louise was born, he was terrified. He didn't know what to expect being a parent. He was afraid he would do something wrong. Once he had held her in his arms, however, that fear dissipated, especially when he saw that her eyes were identical to his, bright green. As she grew up, he felt joy as she discovered new things and was proud that she loved nature as much as he did. When she brought home an injured baby squirrel, he helped her nurse it back to health and watched the look of joyful sadness on her face when she eventually had to say goodbye to her dear friend. Knowing that his daughter was kind-hearted and gentle filled Lucas with joy because he knew that, one day, she would succeed him as the new Lord of the Forest well.
No matter what happened in their lives, Lucas and Gina always found something to be joyful about. They vowed to share that joy with each other, no matter what. If something tragic happened, they would do their best to make sure it would not put a dark cloud over their lives by remaining hopeful that there would soon be joy in their lives once more.